“Cumulative effect of nisin and modified atmosphere packaging on microbial count of dietetic and fiber enriched Lal Pedaâ€

Abstract

Lal Peda is a popular heat desiccated traditional, delicious dairy delicacy of eastern India, especially Uttar Pradesh. It is prepared by blending khoa and sugar, followed by heat desiccation until a characteristic reddish brown colour appears. It is shaped by hand and dusted with semolina and pistachios as a finishing touch.  The shelf life of developed lal peda can enhanced significantly by the application of modified atmosphere packaging and low storage temperature. The control samples containing air was unfit for consumption as they achieved the critical microbial load after 20 days as compared to the samples packed in MAP, which was stored up to 40 days without affecting any sensory quality of the lal peda. The study indicates that the lal peda samples stored in MAP with various gas combinations displayed shelf stability up to 40 days at 20^O C, The gas combination of 50 % CO₂: 50 % N₂ depicted higheracceptability in comparison to 75 % CO₂: 25 % N₂ and 25% CO₂: 75% N₂.